Leveraging qualitative approaches to guide sustainable international research collaborations

Bibliographic Data

ID19591072
AuthorsRoxanne Vandermause (0000-0002-0560-5450, University of Missouri–St. Louis, corresponding author), Rachel Kryah (University of Missouri–St. Louis, corresponding author), Julie Bertram (0000-0003-1609-1122, University of Missouri–St. Louis, corresponding author), Hannah Stewart (0000-0003-2536-9405, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, corresponding author), Hannah L Stewart, Nil Ean (0000-0003-0571-0039, Documentation Center of Cambodia, corresponding author), Steven Bruce, Steven E Bruce (0000-0002-5807-4382, University of Missouri–St. Louis, corresponding author), Adam W Carrico (0000-0002-8146-5701, Florida International University, corresponding author), Julie A Mannarino (0009-0007-7272-033X, University of Missouri–St. Louis, corresponding author), Robert Paul (0000-0003-4225-6103, University of Missouri–St. Louis, corresponding author), Robert H Paul
EditorsVijayaprasad Gopichandran (0000-0003-2635-9583)
Year2024
Volume4
Issue3
Pagese0002941
Publication date2024-03-19
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePLOS Global Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2767-3375 • E-ISSN: 2767-3375
PublisherPublic Library of Science (PLoS) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1371/journal.pgph.0002941
PMID38502635
OpenAlexW4392947609
LanguageEN
References cited23

Qualitative research approaches were used to launch an international research collaboration between the U. S. and Cambodia. Cambodian officials requested assistance in learning qualitative approaches to complement the research skills of Cambodian mental health providers. This article provides a description of how U. S. researchers responded to that request and engaged with Cambodian psychiatrists to explore mental health needs and interventions in both countries and initiate a sustainable relationship. The early focus on qualitative research methodologies may be an avenue that mitigates some of the challenges that can characterize international research. In this study, early communications involved developing a plan to teach qualitative methods while also collecting and analyzing data in both countries that would address the mental health concerns experienced by respective care providers. A case study exemplar was embedded with a scripted focus group guide to collect data from U. S. focus groups, then share with Cambodian psychiatrists. Components of hermeneutic phenomenological interviewing and descriptive content analysis were used to simultaneously teach and enact the research methods, gather data in both countries to analyze, and inspire participants to replicate the methods in their ongoing work. Cambodian psychiatrists were able to demonstrate competence in facilitating focus groups after being participant-observers. Researcher/practitioners from both U. S. and Cambodian teams gained new understandings about the mental health needs of their patients. The mutual engagement of a research focus is an effective way to establish cross-cultural relationships. The challenges of staying with stable teams over times remain, but the content shared and learned in a participatory structure yields understandings that cross cultural boundaries. Anticipated and unexpected challenges may be offset by an intention of reciprocity and mutual engagement. The use of qualitative methodologies, early and repeatedly, can facilitate relational understanding

Focus group · Global mental health · Interview · Medical education · Mental health · Political science · Psychological intervention · Psychotherapist · Public relations · Qualitative research · Social science · Sociology · Health Policy Implementation Science · Medicine · Mental Health Treatment and Access · Migration, Health and Trauma · Nursing · Psychology · Social Psychology

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